Salt-grainer



(No Model.)

R. M. HUNTER.

SALT GRAINER. No. 312,563.

Patented Feb. 17,`1885.

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UNITED STATES- PATENT Ormea.

RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SALT-G RAINER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 312,563, dated- February 17, 1885.

Application sied April 12, 1884. (No meer) To'all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH M. HUNTER,` ofthe city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in lSalt-Grrainers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention has reference to salt-grainers; and it consists in certain improvements,fully set forth in the following specification, and shown in the accompanying drawing, which forms part thereof.

Heretofore it has been customary to force the steam direct from the boiler through the heating-coils, in which it is more or less condensed, the said coils being surrounded with cold water or other liquid, and this condensed steam has been allowed to collect in a tank or chamber, from which it was pumped back into the boiler as feed-water-as, for instance, as set forth in patent to Bender, August 26. 1862- the object being to utilize the condensed steam, and thereby not only provide the boiler with pure water, but also feed-water in a heated condition; but as far as I am aware no one has attempted to increase the evaporation duty of the heating-coils by the use of steam under low pressure by the creation of a partial vacuum at or near the discharge end of the said heating-coils. Neither has any one attempted heretofore to make a forced circulation of low-pressure steam by the use of a vacuum-pump or exhauster, which is operated independently of the boiler-feeder; and, nally, vit is new, as far as I am aware,to use a condenser through which the steam drawn from the 'heating-coils is forced, and it is upon these features I base my invention.

The object of my invention is to provide suitable apparatus for a salt-graincr,whereby low-pressure steam may be caused to circulate through the heating pipes or coils in the grainer trough or tank, to the end that a more rapid evaporation and consequent crystallization shall take place, and that,too,with aless boiler pressure than has heretofore been considered necessary for the proper circulation of the steam.

In the drawing is shown an elevation of my improved apparatus. A is the boiler. B is the saltgrainer proper, in which B are the heating-coils. C is the steam-feed pipe. E is the escape-pipe from the grainercoils, and

I opens into the chamberD, from which-the condensed steam (water) is drawn by pipe F, and forced by pump G and pipe H back into the boiler as feedwater. Opening from the chamber D at or near the top is a pipe, I,which connects with a vacuum-pump or exhauster, J, which might be made separate or worked by the pump G. The steam exhausted from the chamber D by exhauster J is forced through condenser K and pipe L into the pipe F.

The operation is as follows: The exhauster keeps up a partial vacuum in the chamber D, and consequently in the circulatory system at one end, and this insures a regular iiow of steam through the coils Bwithout much pressure being used, and this is particularly desirable, as circulating low-pressnresteam has more heating power than high-pressure steam, and is decidedly less expensive. This device consequently allows of the use of a boiler of about onehalf the horse-power heretofore required, and thus diminishes the cost of plant. If the boiler is feeding a steam'engine, as indicated in dotted lines, the exhaust may be directly connected with the coils B', or the exhaust may be open and the steam sucked into the said coils from said exhaust.

I do not limit myself to the details, as the apparatus may be modified in Various ways without departing from my invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,` is

1. In salt-producing machinery, the combiwith a boiler from which steam is passed into said coils, and mechanism to create a partial vacuum at the other end of the salt-grainer coils, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In salt-producing machinery, the combination of the salt-grainer having heatingcoils with a boiler from which steam is passed into said coils, a pump and connecting-pipes for forcing the condensed steam back into the boiler, and mechanism to create a partial vacuum at the other end of the salt-grainer coils, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In salt-producing machinery, the combination of the salt-grainer having heating-coils with a boiler from which steam is passed into said coils,apump and connecting-pipes forforcnation of the salt-grainer having heating-coils IOO ing the condensed steam back into the boiler, an exhauster or vacuumcreating device arranged to create a-partial vacuum at the discharging end of said coils, and a condenser to condense the steam exhausted by said vacuum-creating device, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In salt-producing machinery, the combination of thesalt-grainer having heating-coils with a boiler from which steam is passed into said coils, a pump and connecting-pipes for forcing the condensed steam back into the boiler, an eXhauster or vacuum-creating device arranged t0 create a partial vacuum at the dischargingend of said coils, a condenser to condense the steam exhausted by said vacuum-creating device, and a connecting-pipeby which said condensed steam is fed into the boiler or its feed-pipe, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of boiler A, pipe C, grainer B, having coils B', pipe E, chamberD, pipe F, pump G, feed-pipe H, pipe I, and vacuum-pump J, substantially as and for the purpose specified. v

6. The combination of boiler A, pipe C, grainer B, having coils B', pipe E, chamber D,

lpipe F, pump G, feed-pipe H, pipe I, vacuum-pump J, condenser K, and pipe L, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

Y In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

' RUDOLPH M. HUNTER. Witnesses:

FRANCAIS S. BROWN, A. D. HARRINGTON. 

